Ilkeston Rugby Club

26/08/2026

🏉 🏆 Centenary Challenge Sports Day! 🏆 🏉

The Legends match might have been called off, but that didn’t stop the fun! 🙌

Our fun-filled Sports Day was an absolute winner, and the lads who took part had a brilliant day from start to finish! With our Current XV taking the win over the Legends
💪 🏉 🏅

Plenty of laughs, competition and great memories made — a fantastic day all round! 🦌💚💙

25/08/2026

NEW SIGNING ANNOUNCEMENT ✍️

We are delighted to announce the signing of James Chubb ahead of the new season! 🏉

▪️ Age: 30
▪️ Position: Centre
▪️ Previous Club: Melish

A strong and composed presence in the middle, James brings plenty of quality to the side. Comfortable on the ball and always looking to get involved, he’ll add another dimension to the team as we continue to strengthen the squad this centenary season.

“ Im Really excited to join Ilkeston RFC and to contribute to the team both on and off the field. We have a fantastic squad this year and I can’t wait to get started and bring my energy and competitive drive to the squad”

We’re looking forward to seeing James in an Ilkeston shirt this season.

Welcome to the club James 🦌

18/08/2026

Unfortunately, this Saturday’s Centenary Challenge Game vs the Legends is now OFF!

But don’t despair — the show will go on! 🍻☀️

Instead, we’re keeping the celebrations going with a Current Team vs Legends Sports Day, with plenty of fun (and competitive!) events as the current lads take on the Golden Oldies! 🏆

Come down and join us this weekend for:

🎶 Live music
🍺 Plenty of beer
🍔 Food
🏅 Current Team vs Legends Sports Day
☀️ And hopefully plenty of fun in the sun!

And to finish off the day, our very own Liam Gavin will be braving the shave, having his head shaved to raise money for Dementia UK. ❤️

So get yourselves down, support the lads, support a brilliant cause, and enjoy what promises to be a cracking day!

The match may be off… but the Centenary celebrations are very much ON! 🍻🏆

15/08/2026

Just a light hearted look at the current situation

🚨 ENGLISH RUGBY HAS BEEN CANCELLED BECAUSE IT’S TOO DRY. 🚨

Just read that again.

Too. Feckin. Dry.

After approximately 150 years of standing beside pitches that resemble the Somme, English grassroots rugby has finally encountered the one weather condition nobody was prepared for:

Summer.

The RFU has postponed the start of the competitive community season until the week commencing 21 September because the drought has left pitches too hard for full-contact rugby.

This is magnificent.

For generations rugby players have been told:

“The game goes ahead unless the pitch is unplayable.”

And “unplayable” traditionally meant there was a Vauxhall Corsa floating past the clubhouse.

Frozen solid?

PLAY ON.

Horizontal rain?

PLAY ON.

Six inches of mud and something in the 22 that may once have been livestock?

PLAY ON.

Bit of sunshine?

EVERYBODY INSIDE. THIS IS FECKIN DANGEROUS.

😂😂😂

Somewhere there’s an 82-year-old former prop absolutely furious.

“Too hard?! We played on concrete in 1963. Broke both legs before half-time. Finished the game. Scored twice. Walked home.”

And spare a thought for every groundsman in England.

They’ve spent their entire lives trying to stop rugby pitches becoming swamps.

Drainage.

Aeration.

Sand.

Seed.

Verti-draining.

Thousands of volunteer hours.

Finally gets the pitch dry…

RFU: Cancel everything.

😂

Rugby has now achieved something cricket could only dream of:

RAIN REQUIRED TO START PLAY.

Imagine explaining this to the Australians and South Africans.

“Sorry lads, rugby’s off.”

Flooding?

“No.”

*Snow?”

“No.”

*Frozen pitch?”

“No.”

“England has become dangerously pleasant.”

And presumably the clubhouse bar will still open.

Because apparently the ground is too dangerous for 30 men to tackle each other on…

…but perfectly safe for those same 30 men to consume several pints and attempt to negotiate wet wooden stairs in studs.

PLAYER WELFARE. 👍

The best bit will be September.

After postponing an entire season because there isn’t enough water, you absolutely KNOW the first weekend back will feature biblical rain and some poor groundsman at 7am, ankle-deep in water, pushing a fork into the pitch saying:

“Aye… I reckon it’ll take a stud.”

English rugby.

The only sport capable of cancelling August because it’s too dry…

then cancelling October because it’s too wet.

🏉☀️🌧️🍺

See you on 21 September.

Weather permitting.

Obviously.

ALL WRONG RESPONSES IN THE COMMENTS PLEASE A😂😂😂🍺🍺

14/08/2026

POV: the team have absolutely zero media training 😭🎤
Enjoy the bloopers… professionalism pending 😂

WE ARE 🦌💚💙

11/08/2026

🎉🏉🦌 A CENTURY IN THE MAKING — LET THE CELEBRATIONS BEGIN! 🏉🦌🎉

This summer, the club kicks off its Centenary Celebrations in style — and we’re starting BIG…

🔥 THE CENTENARY CHALLENGE 🔥
Current Players vs Ilkeston Legends

📅 Saturday 22nd August
⏰ 1PM Kick-Off
📍 The Stute

Expect a fantastic day packed with:
☀️ Sunshine (we’ve ordered it!)
🍻 Cold drinks flowing
🎶 Great atmosphere
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Fun for all the family

💥 Think you’ve still got what it takes? 💥
We’re calling on former players to pull on the shirt one more time and represent the Legends XV!

👉 Interested in playing? Drop a comment or get in touch with Dave Hutchinson, who’ll be managing the Legends side.

Let’s celebrate 100 years the right way — with Rugby , friends, and unforgettable memories.

🏉 Be there. Be part of history


🦌💚💙

10/08/2026

Reminder to all our Retired Elks our Centenary Game is 12 DAYS AWAY!!

Please get your availability in to Dave Hutchinson if your keen to run out for the Legends

WE ARE !🦌💚💙

🎉🏉🦌 A CENTURY IN THE MAKING — LET THE CELEBRATIONS BEGIN! 🏉🦌🎉

This summer, the club kicks off its Centenary Celebrations in style — and we’re starting BIG…

🔥 THE CENTENARY CHALLENGE 🔥
Current Players vs Ilkeston Legends

📅 Saturday 22nd August
⏰ 1PM Kick-Off
📍 The Stute

Expect a fantastic day packed with:
☀️ Sunshine (we’ve ordered it!)
🍻 Cold drinks flowing
🎶 Great atmosphere
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Fun for all the family

💥 Think you’ve still got what it takes? 💥
We’re calling on former players to pull on the shirt one more time and represent the Legends XV!

👉 Interested in playing? Drop a comment or get in touch with Dave Hutchinson, who’ll be managing the Legends side.

Let’s celebrate 100 years the right way — with Rugby , friends, and unforgettable memories.

🏉 Be there. Be part of history


🦌💚💙

07/08/2026

A Reminder for all out supporters

🏉 THE ELKS ARE ON THE ROAD AGAIN! 🏉

The countdown to the new season continues as The Elks hit the road for an exciting pre-season fixture against Novocastrians RFC.

📅 Saturday 5th September
📍 Novocastrians RFC

🚌 Players & Supporters’ Coach
🕘 Departs The Stute at 9:00am

Supporters are encouraged to travel with the team and get behind the lads as they continue their preparations for the season ahead.

💷 £20 per person

To reserve your place on the coach, please contact our Director of Rugby:

📧 [email protected]

Let’s travel together, make some noise, and back the Elks on the road! 💚💙

06/08/2026

🏉 WHY WE PLAY RUGBY 💚💙

Different players. Different reasons. One club.

We asked a few of the lads what keeps them pulling on the shirt, turning up every week and playing the game we all love.

So… why do you play rugby? 👇

01/08/2026

🎤 PASS THE MIC 🎤

The mic’s making its way around Club… and nobody’s safe 👀😂

Who should we pass it to next? 🏉

RugbyFamily